


A Demon, a Martian and a Vigilante walk into a bar...

by Morgana24



Category: Lucifer (TV), Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: BLDCine, BLM, Black Girl Magic, F/F, Gen, Representation, arrowverse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-17
Updated: 2020-10-17
Packaged: 2021-03-08 18:20:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,999
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27061096
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Morgana24/pseuds/Morgana24
Summary: When Doctor Linda Martin has to attend a conference in National City, she brings along her best friend Mazikeen Smith, for the ride.When Doctor Kelly Olsen has to attend the same conference, she brings along her girlfriend Alex Danvers.Alex and Mazikeen are told to wait in the bar and stay out of trouble whilst the doctors attend their conference. Simple, right? After all, what's the worst that could happen?
Relationships: Alex Danvers/Kelly Olsen
Comments: 8
Kudos: 47





	A Demon, a Martian and a Vigilante walk into a bar...

**Author's Note:**

> This is my contribution to the BLDCine Volume 1: Black Girl Magic.
> 
> This zine’s goal is to raise representation of the amazing black women of the Arrowverse and raise money for some fantastic charities that benefit black women. I hope you enjoy this piece. Please share to raise awareness and consider purchasing the zine at the below link. It’s a 160 page zine of fics, art, and videos, and the cost is $25 plus $1.99 handling charge charged by the platform that hosts the sales. The entire $25 for the e-zine will go to charity. 
> 
> [Click here to order the zine!](https://bldcine1.storenvy.com/products/31090435-bldcine-volume-1-black-girl-magic)
> 
> If you experience any problems while ordering or have questions,  
> please contact the zine moderators at bldcine@hotmail.com

Maze frowned at the lobby of the Excelsior hotel. It was her first time in National City, and so far, she had no idea what the hype was about. If you saw one room with faux-Victorian furniture, foam crown molding, and a crystal chandelier that was most definitely made of glass, you’d seen them all. If the drinks weren’t better than the decorating, Yelp would hear about it. 

“Maze? Maze!” Linda’s voice cut through Maze’s thoughts, and she turned, finding they’d been joined by another woman.

Maze folded her arms as she studied the newcomer. Skin just a shade darker than Maze’s own, long raven hair slicked back into a professional looking ponytail, her cream suit finely cut but not ostentatious, she had the air of a Doctor about her. There was something else, an underlying strength that suggested once upon a time she might have been something more. She had a warrior’s eyes, though they had been tempered by time, pain and perhaps a new perspective as a therapist who might suggest a much more passive and a much less aggressive approach to situations, just as Linda often did.

Under Maze’s scrutinizing gaze, the woman’s smile grew as she extended a hand. “Doctor Olsen. But please call me Kelly.”

“ _ Maze _ ,” Linda hissed quietly when Maze didn’t immediately offer her own hand in return. 

With a huff, she gripped Kelly’s hand. Firmly. “Mazikeen Smith.”

“That’s… quite some grip you’ve got there, Mazikeen,” Kelly tried to pull her hand back, but already Maze’s attention was on someone else who was heading in their direction.

Unlike everyone else here, this newcomer carried herself with an air of authority. Mazikeen knew a leader and warrior when she saw one.

Dressed in dark skinny jeans and a red top, kick ass boots and a well worn and clearly well loved leather jacket, she wasn’t overly tall but had a commanding presence.

“This is my girlfriend,” Kelly finally pried her hand away, as the redhead joined them, looking towards Kelly with the most protective, almost possessive look Maze had ever seen from anyone who wasn’t Lucifer or Decker.

Interesting.

After a brief but quiet exchange, Kelly turned back to Maze and Linda even as Red stuck out her own hand, first to Linda. “Special Agent Danvers, FBI.”

“Doctor Linda Martin. And this is my dear friend— “ 

“Mazikeen Smith,” Maze interrupted, taking the Agent’s hand and gripping it firmly. Where Kelly had squirmed and winced, albeit politely, Agent Danvers didn’t even flinch.

Very interesting.

Maze increased the pressure.

Agent Danvers raised an eyebrow.

Maze squeezed even harder until something popped beneath her fingers, but the only sign the Agent gave that she’d even felt anything was the tiniest widening of her eyes and the tug at the corner of her lips.

Impressive! Such a grip had been tried and tested on lesser men who had crumpled in whimpering, quivering wrecks before begging for mercy.

Her curiosity piqued, Maze wondered how far she could go before the Agent finally cracked, when Linda cleared her throat and touched Maze’s arm.

With a sigh, Maze opened her hand, and Agent Danvers withdrew hers, flexing it a little but otherwise showing no signs that she’d even felt anything.

For the next few minutes, Linda and Kelly discussed… something. V waves? Z waves? Some sort of wave that was special for some reason and blah blah blah. If Maze had known the trip was going to be this dull, she’d have stayed in LA and found some new ways to annoy Dan and Decker. Maybe hung out with Trixie. Begged someone to find her a bounty to hunt. Anything but… wait a minute. 

Agent Danvers was putting on a good show of listening, nodding in all the right places and making noises of confirmation, but Maze knew the look of someone whose attention was elsewhere. Curiously, she watched the Agent to see what had caught the other woman’s attention, and a slow smile grew. The Agent was systematically picking out every exit in the area, no doubt making a mental note of them. Even those that weren’t official exits but could be used as such in a pinch.

Then she turned to pick out every security camera, and if she was anything like Maze, she’d have worked out their blind spots too. (There were three.)

Across a speaker system, a voice rang out inviting all conference attendees to make their way to the auditorium with their ID badges on display to speed up the process.

As Kelly ushered Agent Danvers a little bit away, Linda stepped in front of Maze and cleared her throat. With a sigh, Maze turned her eyes down towards her friend.

“I’ve got to head on in now. You and Agent Danvers will have to stay out here, but please don’t cause any trouble?”

“No promises,” Maze smirked, but Linda didn’t return the smile.

“Yes promises _ ,  _ Maze. Promise me you will not get into trouble! Kelly and her girlfriend don’t know what you are, and I think for all our sakes it would be better if it stayed that way. I mean it, Mazikeen. Play. Nice.”

“You’re such a spoilsport sometimes, Doc,” Maze grumbled as she folded her arms, her own burgundy leather jacket creaking with the movement. When Linda gave no sign of backing down, Maze sighed and relaxed her posture. “Alright fine. Whatever.”

“I mean it, Maze,” Linda warned as she walked backwards, pointing two fingers to her eyes, then to Maze, the challenge issued. Maze opened her mouth to say something but was cut off by something Kelly said to Agent Danvers.

“I mean it Alex.”

“I’m not going to make a promise I can’t keep, Kelly. You know me. But I promise I’ll  _ try _ .” Agent Danvers pulled Kelly closer, then placed a gentle, tender kiss on her lips. “I’m just going to go and find the nearest bar, start up a tab, and stay there until you come and get me. Deal?”

“I suppose that’s the best I can hope for,” Kelly agreed, stealing one final kiss before she joined Linda in the queue to enter the auditorium. 

Maze and Agent Danvers stood side by a side in awkward silence as Kelly and Linda advanced further towards the doors, deep in conversation. When the doctors had finally passed out of sight, Agent Danvers cleared her throat. “So… drink?”

Maze sighed with relief. “I thought you’d never ask!”

<><>

Whilst lacking Lux’s atmosphere, Maze could see the appeal of the club called Hooligans as she and Agent Danvers stepped through the doors. Despite it being early afternoon, there were several patrons already in varying degrees of drunken stupor, some propped up in booths, others sprawled across the bar top, clutching empty glasses or delving into bowls of peanuts with complete and utter disregard for the filth that they were probably ingesting through the unhygienic crap - quite literally - that had probably touched the bowl and the nuts within. 

Agent Danvers looked less than thrilled as her gaze roamed about the place, but she said nothing and headed for an empty gap and two stools at the bar, signalling to the bartender when she sat down. 

Maze took a seat beside her and as the bartender came over, she flashed him a devilish smile. “Scotch. Make it neat.”

“Coming up,” the bartender turned to Agent Danvers.

“Give me a shot and a beer.”

“I’m impressed, Agent,” Maze leaned one elbow on the bar and faced the other woman. “It seems there’s more to you than meets the eye.”

“Yeah?” Agent Danvers refused to meet her eye. “There’s a lot about me that you don’t know.”

Maze shrugged. “I’ve got time. And literally nothing better to do unless the NCPD is looking for any bounty hunters. What I wouldn’t give for a good old fashioned hunt right now.”

Agent Danvers raised one eyebrow. “You’re a bounty hunter?”

“For the LAPD,” Maze nodded proudly. And then her smile dropped. “Although, there’s been a severe lack of cases recently. I’m bored out of my mind.”

This garnered a small smirk from the Agent as their drinks were finally placed in front of them.

“Yeah, National City’s been unusually quiet recently as well.”

“Is that why you’re here to babysit your girl at her conference?” Maze raised her glass and took a sip. It wasn’t a bad scotch. Definitely not the worst she’d ever had, by any stretch of the imagination.

“Is that why you’re here to babysit yours?” Agent Danvers countered, picking up the shot of whiskey, but not drinking. 

“Linda’s not my girl,” Maze shook her head, then took a larger gulp, enjoying the burn all the way down to her stomach. “She’s my friend. That’s all. I don’t have the luxury of many friends, but she’s one of the lucky few who I allow to be mine.”

“Fair enough,” Agent Danvers nodded and downed the shot. 

This was painfully dull. Maze hated small talk.

Downing the rest of her own drink, she put her glass down, then signalled for a refill. “Look Agent, I’m not just going to sit around in a bar all day and— “ Suddenly, Maze found herself up close and personal with Agent Danvers, as the redhead was shoved out of her own seat. Perhaps the day was looking up after all.

“Hey! Watch it!” Agent Danvers snapped, righting herself quickly and placing distance between herself and Maze. It wasn’t Maze she was snapping at. It was the asshole on the Agent’s other side who was leaning across the bar. He turned and glared at them both, took the envelope the bartender handed him, then turned and stalked away.

“Jerk!” Agent Danvers called after him as she shook the beer from her arm, then paused and did a double take in his direction. 

Maze was on her feet in an instant, glaring after the retreating douche. “Insolence should not be ignored. He would quickly learn some manners if his fingernails were slowly removed with a pair of rusty pliers. I could take care of that for ...” Her voice trailed off when she turned to find the Agent fiddling with her ultra fancy watch. “What are you doing?”

“Son of a bitch,” Agent Danvers grumbled as she pulled up a hologram image of the guy they’d just seen.

“Daughter of Lillith, but continue,” Maze peered at the image curiously.

“I knew I’d seen that asshole before. He’s got multiple warrants out for weapons smuggling and arms dealing. I need to call this in to the NCPD.”

Maze’s hand darted out to rest over the Agent’s, stopping her from making the call. “Are you saying there’s a bounty for this human?”

“Uh… yeah.” 

Maze beamed in delight. This day was most definitely looking up. “Tell me, Agent, how bored are you?”

<><>

Alex shuffled nervously from one foot to the other as the elevator ascended. Kelly had one request, just one. Act normal. No vigilante crap. No getting into trouble. No going looking for trouble. Just sit in a bar, start a tab, and stay there.

_ You had one job, Danvers _ , she thought as she continued to fidget.  _ One job. Kelly is going to kill me. Kelly is going to kill me.  _ “Kelly is going to kill me.”

“What was that?”

“Nothing,” Alex shook her head, tapping at the Hand of the Soldier. They’d shown the image to the receptionist at the front desk and gained his room number and were now on their way to pay him a visit and see what kind of nefarious deeds he was up to. 

The elevator door pinged, and Mazikeen stepped into the open doorway, turning on Alex. “Just let me handle this. If you stay behind me, I’ll make sure you don’t get hurt.”

“Is that a joke—” But Mazikeen had already spun and taken off down the hallway, so with a disgruntled groan, Alex was forced to catch up. “Hey, what part of Special Agent didn’t you get? I’ve got this.”

“This is my bounty. I’m not sharing it.”

“I couldn’t care less about the bounty. I just want to catch this guy. I’m a professional. We do this by the books.”

Outside his door, Mazikeen stepped closer to Alex. For a moment Alex thought her partner in this was about to become a point of conflict, but the other woman just stared in her eyes for several moments. Apparently, whatever Mazikeen was looking for she found because she stepped back and nodded. “Okay, Danvers, we do this your way. How are we getting in?”

Alex grinned. As if there was more than one answer to that.

The door crashed off the wall as Alex kicked it open, the Hand of the Soldier already changed into a stun gun. She needed information not casualties, after all.

“That was hot.” Mazikeen stepped to Alex’s side, a curved knife in either hand as she checked the bathroom. “Clear.”

The room looked empty. One bed, a laptop, no other exit available. If the person they were hunting was here, he was either under the bed or— Alex pulled open the closet door with one hand and brought her other down onto the man’s wrist, causing him to drop his revolver. Then she hauled him out and ducked the sloppy punch he threw. A fist to his solar plexus took the wind out of him, and she twisted his arm behind his back. When Mazikeen grabbed him by the hair and stuck one of her blades against his throat, his struggles ceased.

“That was too quick. You want to let him loose so he can have another run at us?”

_ Who is this lady? _ Alex slapped cuffs on him and dragged him over to a seat on his bed.

“You always carry cuffs with you?” Mazikeen grinned. “Business or pleasure, Agent Danvers?”

“Just watch him,” Alex replied. The laptop was open to a file of alien symbols in a language she recognised but couldn’t read. She sent a copy to J’onn with a brief explanation, then she continued scrolling through the computer. There were emails mentioning the hotel and a time. Alarmingly, that time was one minute ago. Though they mentioned some sort of item, they didn’t go into more details.

“Why are we just standing around here?” Maze asked. “Let’s bring this guy in.”

“In a minute. There’s something else going on here and—” Alex’s phone chirped.

J’onn:  _ “I got your message. I’m out of the country, but I’m sending someone who can help.” _

Before Alex could type out a response, something shimmered off to one side, and a figure coalesced through the wall.

Mazikeen was halfway to the figure, knives drawn and ready for a fight, in a heartbeat.

Alex ran to intercept. “Hey, whoa whoa whoa, easy there. She’s with us.”

Mazikeen nodded then ticked her head back at the newcomer. “S’up. I’m Mazikeen.”

M’gann took two steps closer, her head tilting left then right as her brows furrowed. A look of deep concentration came over her face, but she remained silent.

“Is she okay, Danvers?” Mazikeen asked.

Alex held one finger up to Mazikeen. Then she turned to the Martian. “Hey, M’gann. Everything okay?”

M’gann blinked, seemingly back to her surroundings. “Alex, yes, my apologies. I am M’gann,” she said to Maze. “J’onn said you required immediate assistance. I was not aware you had… company.”

“Mazikeen is… helping me with a case,” Alex replied, glancing back and forth between both women. Then she gestured to the laptop. “Which brings us to this. Do you know what this says?”

“That’s Martian.” M’gann scrolled through the documents. “Scriptures say The Ancients created three sets of stones that were lost to our people, taken from us during an attack. This references one of those stone sets, the Healing Slumber.”

“Healing Slumber?” Alex repeated, her brow creasing in a frown as she peered closer at the text. “What does it do?”

M’gann sat back on a corner of the desk. “When someone’s mind was badly damaged, one of the Ancient Elders would put them into a deep state beyond meditation. There they could be guided through a complex healing ritual. That state was called the Healing Slumber, but to guide someone successfully through and out of it requires an elder of… I don’t even think M’yrnn knew those teachings. When the stones were lost to our people, so were those ways.” M’gann shrugged. “The stones are harmless though. Someone’s mind would need to be opened by a shaman and completely susceptible for them to be affected by them. Activating them would do nothing otherwise.”

“It’s good we don’t have any shamans around here then,” Alex smirked. “Which begs the question, what is this asshole doing with this sort of information anyway? And why here in a— holy shit!”

“That’s the worst kind of shit,” Mazikeen said.

“Alex, what’s wrong?”

“VR tech!” Alex exclaimed, pointing to the floor, and by extension the hotel auditorium somewhere below them. “Right now, down there is an entire conference of folks in a VR demonstration by Obsidian Tech!” Stepping in front of the guy who was still cuffed on the bed, she grabbed him by the collar. “That was your plan, right? Activate the stones when the demonstration was started? Why? What do you gain out of it?”

“Go fuck yourself.” He sneered. “There’s nothing you can do to make me talk.”

“Alex, allow me,” M’gann said as she stepped forward. Brows furrowed, she stared heavily at the man and then shook her head. “He has a block in place. It’s more like a labyrinth. It’s not uncommon when someone has handled an artifact. It disrupts the channels of the mind. I can get through, but it will take time.”

“Time we don’t have,” Alex groaned as she paced back and forth. 

“I got this.” Mazikeen grabbed the man by the scruff of the neck and hauled him to his feet then into the bathroom. “We’ll be right back.”

“Wait… what?” Alex frowned as the bathroom door shut. She turned back to M’gann in confusion.

“I have no idea, Alex. I assume your friend—” With a sharp gasp, M’gann wrapped her arms around herself and dropped into a seat.

“M’gann?!” Alex dropped into a crouch in front of her, a hand on her arm. “Hey, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing, I’m… Nothing.” M’gann lifted her head and met Alex’s gaze. “His thoughts are hard to read, but he projects his emotions easily. I was unprepared. How did you meet this  _ friend _ of yours?”

“She’s more like an acquaintance I met half an hour ago,” Alex said as she moved to a seat on the bed. “One of Kelly’s therapist friends brought her along as her plus one for this convention.”

“Be careful, Alex. Her darkness runs wide and far.”

“I’m always careful,” Alex smiled. “And these days, thanks to J’onn, I’m always prepared as well.” She tapped the Hand of the Soldier.

“I understand, but there are some things that even—”

The bathroom door opened, and Mazikeen reappeared drying her hands on a small towel. “He was all talk, no game. This is some sort of corporate espionage. The stones are set up in the basement. They have a dozen trained soldiers guarding them armed with automatic weapons. There’s a card behind that painting that we’ll need to disarm some sort of energy barrier. Also, he wet his bed until he was twelve.” She smiled. “I think he’s going to start doing that again.”

“I—” Alex started, looked from Mazikeen to M’gann then back again, “— am not even going to ask. I don’t want to know.” 

“You’ll sleep better that way.” Mazikeen tossed the towel to the side and clapped her hands together. “Now I see why Linda likes these conferences. This is fun.”

<><>

Agent Danvers tapped the card key taken from behind the painting repeatedly against her leg while she, Maze, and M’gann rode toward the basement. The muzak version of Copacabana filled the elevator, and Maze grinned at its familiarity. Many a human in Hell had been tormented with that very tune.

“Alex.” M’gann said, her gaze briefly meeting Maze’s before she scooted a bit closer to Agent Danvers. “Are you sure you’re dressed appropriately? You’re rather… recognizable.”

Agent Danvers cursed quietly. The girl had a decent vocabulary on her. With a quick nod to M’gann, she grabbed her cell phone and placed a call. “Hey, Lena, I know things have been… strained, but I need a favor… Thanks. Look, I’m in an elevator in the Excelsior hotel. I’m going to need you to erase the security footage of me being in here. It’s an emergency. Can you— No, Kara’s not here… I don’t know, out, home, I don’t know where— Lena, just call her if you want, but can you do this for me? Thanks, bye.”

“Problems?” Maze asked.

“Only if you tell my girlfriend about this.” With a flick of her wrist, a red glimmer quickly made its way up Agent Danver’s arm and spread across her whole body. Her clothing disappeared or changed or something, and an entirely new black and blue bodysuit replaced her dayware. Heavy black and blue eyeshadow appeared, and a streak of her hair turned vibrant blue. It was both kinky and convenient, and Maze approved.

Maze stepped back to the elevator door, arms crossed, as she watched Agent Danvers flip a black hood up. “What are you?”

“I’m a vigilante. Kelly will kill me if you tell her about this. She specifically told me not to get anyone normal involved in,” the agent gestured up and down her costumed body, “this.”

“Normal? I think I'm insulted,” Maze said. M’gann’s gaze had been trained on Maze the whole time. Truthfully, Maze could feel the woman’s eyes following her since they met. “Are you a vigilante too?”

Like veins of red electricity, energy surged over the surface of M'gann’s body in a similar fashion to how it had across Agent Danvers’ as M’gann turned green. “I am M'gann M'orzz of Mars.”

“Huh. So you’re a Martian?”

“Yes.”

“An actual Martian. Cool.” Maze nodded, and when the elevator door opened, she led the way out.

“That's it, just cool?” Agent Danvers whispered as she trailed after Maze. 

There were voices around the corner, and Maze would be lying if she said she wasn’t looking forward to a real fight after the disappointment in the hotel room. She glanced over her shoulder, and for just a moment, she dropped the illusion and allowed her demon face to show. After all, they’d showed her theirs. “I've seen stranger things in the pits of Hell. Now let's go delve out some punishment to the wicked.”

Agent Danvers jerked to a halt, forced to take a quick step forward when M’gann walked into her. “Did you say Hell? Did she say Hell?”

“Yes, it’s not part of the Martian religion, but that must be very concerning if you believe in such a place.” 

“... Hell?”

Maze rounded the corner and the two men who had been lazing outside a door, automatic weapons in loose grips, tensed.

“S’up boys,” she smiled towards them, but it was far from friendly. It was a predator spoiling for a fight.

Before either of them had time to react, she was upon them, kicking one in the stomach even as she grabbed the other by the collar and threw him backwards into the door, which gave way beneath his weight and crashed to the floor.

Maze stepped over his unconscious body into the room as Agent Danvers grabbed the man she had left behind outside. The room itself was nothing special, just a regular basement of a regular hotel.

What wasn’t regular was the number of armed men standing around amongst the boxes and pillars, or the large glowing setup on the table in the very centre of the room. Three coloured eggs contained within some kind of forcefield that was linked to a very retro looking computer terminal. 

“The stones of the Healing Slumber,” M’gann was by Maze’s side in an instant.

A volley of automatic weapon fire had them all ducking for cover behind the nearest pillars as Maze drew her knives from her belt. “You go do your Martian thing. Danvers and I will hold them off. Five each. That fair enough for you, Agent?”

“Kelly’s going to kill me.”

“Yeah, you’ve said. She’ll have to get in line after these guys. You go left, I’ll go right.”

There was a red shimmer in Agent Danvers’ hand, and a titanium baton appeared seemingly from thin air. Then she nodded to Maze before throwing the key card to M’gann. Waiting for a brief pause in the gunfire as weapons were reloaded, they both sprang into action on opposite sides of the room whilst M’gann waded her way into the very centre toward the stones.

Maze slashed the forearm of the first man she encountered, following up with an elbow strike to the face. He went to his knees, and an elbow to the back of his head finished him. She was on her way to the next opponent as she saw Agent Danvers scissor lock a man about the neck and flip him. He practically bounced where he landed, and the agent delivered a final blow with her baton.

Maze wasted no time as she leapt onto the next guy, bringing the pommels of both knives into the sides of his neck. He folded like a deck of cards, and she landed and rolled, coming up with a slash on the inner thigh of the next man even as she thrust her other blade through his left foot. His screams made her homesick. She freed her blade and stood, bringing a fist to his throat that left him gasping. Then she grabbed the back of his head and brought it down to her raised knee. Unconsciousness took him.

When more automatic weapon fire came her way, Maze plastered herself to the safety of one of the pillars. Across the way, she could see Agent Danvers engaged with another soldier and a second one downed behind her. She’d disarmed the firearm from her opponent, but he had a combat knife. They danced around a bit, but then the agent got a stunning hit on the bridge of his nose. She smacked her baton against his inner wrist as she hit the back of his hand with her free hand. It caused his wrist to bend sharply and the knife to fly free. She rained a brutal series of blows across his head and shoulders. Maze thought he was unconscious before he hit the floor.

As soon as the soldier was down, Agent Danvers became a fair target. Maze didn’t even have a chance to call out before the agent had dived and rolled to safety. 

“Danvers, think you can draw their fire?” Maze asked. “I’ll try and get closer.”

“They’ll kill you. Are you that eager to meet your maker?”

Maze shrugged. “My maker? He’s not as bad as people make him out to be.”

Agent Danvers looked like she might say something else, but instead she shook her head and said, “Hold on. I’ve got an idea.” Glancing at her wrist again caused the baton to shimmer red and change into a fancy pistol. The agent lurched right and shot high above the armed men, causing a pipe above their head to vent steam. Not only did it obscure their view, but there was more lovely screaming.

“Okay, I need one of those.” Maze took off at a run toward the men with Agent Danvers at her side. They each collided with a man. It was a quick exchange, but the result was predetermined. Within seconds, there were two more prone men, and Maze and Agent Danvers stood triumphant.

“Okay, that was more like it. You’re a fun date, Danvers. I get what your girl sees in you.”

“Gee thanks.” Agent Danvers pulled her hood back and glanced around. “I thought there were twelve of them. By my count, that was only—”

Just the sound of a trigger sliding was all Maze needed to hear. There was motion across the room, and Maze dove, tackling Agent Danvers. Gunfire speckled the wall behind where they had stood. They hit the ground and slid behind come crates.

Eyes wide and heart pounding so hard Maze could feel it against her own chest, Agent Danvers looked up at Maze and said, “Thanks.”

Maze grinned as she laid on top of the other woman. “I bet I’m not supposed to tell your girlfriend about this either.”

“About me nearly dying or about—”

There was the click of a hammer being pulled back, and Maze and Agent Danvers both turned to see another man step around the crates with his weapon trained on them. “Fuck,” they said together.

With a scream and a satisfying bone crunch, the man who had fired on them collided with this new man. They continued across the room and partway into the wall where one man stayed, stuck in place, while the other slid to the floor, limp.

Wiping her hands, M’gann stepped up to Maze and Agent Danvers. “That’s all of them, and I deactivated the stones.” She grabbed Maze by the back of the shirt, lifting her with ease and righting her before holding down a hand to Agent Danvers and assisting the other woman to stand. “I’m assuming you want to call the authorities, Alex. Though perhaps I should keep hold of the Martian Stones. For safekeeping.”

“They’ll want them as evidence,” Agent Danvers shook her head. “Although… let me call the Science Division. There are still a few strings I can pull.” 

Maze couldn’t fail to notice the wince on Agent Danver’s face. “I’m sensing there’s a story here?”

“Mazikeen,” M’gann shook her head. “There are some paths you don’t want to go down.”

“It’s fine,” Agent Danvers said. “Just let me deal with this, and then I’ll tell you over a drink.”

“I never turn down a drink,” Maze replied. “And call me Maze. All my friends do.”

<><>

Maze set her empty glass back on the bar with a contented sigh. Beside her, Alex did the same. From the other side of the bar where she’d been leaning, M’gann stood up and took their glasses. “Same again, ladies?”

“No, no no no, it’s my turn,” Alex shook her head as she stood and moved round to the small hatch, allowing herself behind the bar. “Go on, go sit. What are you having?”

As M’gann phased through the bar and took Alex’s vacated stool, Maze held up her empty glass. “Same again.”

“I’ll have an Aldebaran rum,” M’gann said.

Alex looked around behind the bar for a moment, then shook her head. “Sorry, all out of that. Regular human rum?”

M’gann shrugged and accepted the drink when it was set down for her. Alex poured Maze’s drink for her as well, then leaned on the bar.

“I see you girls have bonded,” Linda smiled as she and Kelly joined them at the bar.

“Linda! Hey!” Maze smiled and gestured to M’gann. “Look, I made a new friend.”

“Hey M’gann, what are you doing here?” Kelly smiled as she took a seat on the Martian’s other side. And then she glanced at Alex. “And what are you doing there?”

“Serving drinks,” Alex shrugged. “Want one?”

“What happened to the bartender?”

“He got arrested.” Maze pulled out a stool for Linda to sit on.

“You got the bartender arrested?” Kelly asked.

“He got himself arrested,” Alex said, pouring a drink for Kelly without even asking for a preference. Then she looked to Linda, waiting.

“We did help with his arrest,” M’gann supplied.

Maze chuckled as Alex made sudden ‘cut it’ motions over her throat whilst Kelly looked between them all. Downing her drink, Maze set the glass back on the bar again then nodded to it, and Alex picked up the bottle to refill the glass.

A sudden finger poking at her temple caused her to flinch. “Ow! Linda?!”

“This is new,” Linda scowled as she looked over the top of her glasses. “Mazikeen, have you been fighting?”

“Alex, your lip,” Kelly pointed suddenly. “Oh please tell me you two didn’t?”

“They did not,” M’gann shook her head. “At least not each other. We fought together and made wonderful comrades in arms.”

Alex cleared her throat, as Maze beamed in delight. 

“Alex, could I speak with you in private for a moment?” Kelly asked.

“Yes, dear,” Alex replied with a heavy sigh. She headed to the other side of the room, her posture defeated.

Maze watched as Kelly spoke and Alex nodded. Alex was a valiant warrior. However, even though Kelly spoke in gentle tones, it appeared Alex was outmatched this time.

“Is this my fault?” Maze asked.

“Maze, no,” Linda said. “What would make you think that?”

“Kelly didn’t want Alex getting into trouble. Hanging out with a soulless demon is the very definition of trouble.”

“Soulless?” M’gann asked.

“It comes with the demon gig,” Maze said, barely glancing in the other woman’s direction. “My best intentions tend to be… not.” There it was again, that feeling of intense scrutiny. Grabbing her glass of scotch, Maze took a big swallow before turning on M’gann. “Take a picture. It will last longer.”

“I… apologize. I wasn’t looking at you though.”

Maze glanced over at Linda who held up her hands and stepped away. “Really, you could have fooled me.”

“I mean, I wasn’t looking at your body with my eyes. I was… I’m an empath. I was… I feel like my explanation won’t make this seem less odd.”

“I don’t know. The fact that you  _ weren’t _ looking at my body is a bit insulting. Now I want an explanation.” Maze swallowed down the last of her whiskey and faced M’gann head on. 

“Normally, I can get a general sense of people's intentions, their sense of self. Yours is difficult. There’s a lot of darkness inside you, Maze.”

“Soulless demon. I told you.” Maze shrugged and reached across the bar, snagging the whiskey to refill her glass. “Nothing inside me but a void.”

“I didn’t say that.”

Maze’s head turned sharply, the glass frozen partway raised to her lips.

“There’s darkness inside you, but there’s also a… something, like a seed. I’m not sure what it is or how it got there, but it needs to be nourished.” M’gann laid a gentle hand on Maze’s arm. “You need to let the light in.”

Alex’s throat clearing drew Maze’s attention from this revelation and back to the other occupants of the bar. “I updated Kelly on what happened. Good news, I’m not grounded. Saving the conference from eternal slumber trumps playing vigilante with my friends when I was told not to.”

“Eternal slumber? Vigilante?” Linda looked at the others. “What did I miss?”

Before anyone could say anything further, however, a shout and the sound of broken glass from the far corner of the bar area caught their attention, as a drunken brawl broke out.

Alex was already peeling off her leather jacket, as Maze stood up to do likewise. Alex draped her jacket over Kelly’s shoulders and kissed her girlfriend on the cheek. Maze turned to Linda. “Hold my jacket?”

“Maze, don’t you dare,” Linda scowled, even as she took the proffered item of clothing.

“After you?” Maze turned to Alex, who grinned.

“Demons first.”

Grabbing up pool cues as they stalked past the pool table side by side, both ladies made for an impressive display of kick ass. Behind them, back at the bar, Kelly grumbled and downed her drink, M’gann smiled in approval, and Linda just shook her head.

As she and her newfound friend charged head first into the fray, Maze decided that she absolutely loved National City and would most definitely be coming here again. 


End file.
